In 1436H, SyednaAaliQadr Mufaddal SafiuddinTUS urged mumineen around the world to attend AsharaMubaraka from the day Imam HusainAS’s noble steed halted in Karbala, to the fateful hours on Aashura, when Imam HusainAS sacrificed his steadfast Ashaab, hisfamily, and finally, himself, all for the preservation and prosperity of his GranfatherSAW’s religion and his Shi‘a. We answered our MaulaTUS’s call with a resounding “LabbaikYa Dai Allah,” and attended AsharaMubaraka from the 2nd of Moharram onwards.

Last year, MaulaTUS took ohbat – preparation – for AsharaMubaraka one step further with, “AzhirunNohawal ‘Aweel” – make visible and expressive your sorrow and lamentation upon the hardships endured by Imam HusainAS. On LailatulQadr 1437H, in the spirit of the kalaam of AmirulMumineen Ali ibn Abi TalibAS who stated “Al DoaSilah al Mumin” – a doa is a mumin’s weapon – MaulaTUS presented us with a gift: a salaam and accompanying doa, beseeching Allah Ta’ala to give us the inner strength and understanding to express our sorrow for the pain Imam HusainAS, Ahle Bayt, and Ashaab suffered in Karbala.

Beginning by establishing Imam HusainAS’ssignificanceto PanjatanPaakSAW, MaulaTUS states in his doamubarak:

“O’ Allah Ta’ala, give us the guidance to weep for Syed al Shohada Imam HusainAS, though our tears will never be an adequate expression of grief; for his martyrdom shattered the heart of Imaan and Islam. Kafireen, the Umayyids, defiledthe ‘hurmatulnubuwwat.’

“[Imam HusainAS] is the Imam who was mercilessly massacred after being denied water for three days. He is the Imam whose timeless suffering on the sands of Karbala is so great that it is will never grow old. Nay, it becomes newer and newer with each passing year.

“He is the Imam for whose pain we wail and lament, entreating Allah Ta’ala for the forgiveness of our sins. He Is the Imam upon whom his Nana Nabi, RasulallahSAW sacrificed his own son, Ibrahim, only for the enemy to massacre Imam HusainAS – hisSAWdilnathamarat and kalejanatukra. These kafireen will forever reside in the lowest rungs of Jahannam.

“[Imam HusainAS] is the Imam upon whose suffering malaa’ekat wept, insand jin grieved, and the Arsh Mubarak of Allah Ta’ala rattled with the force of an earthquake. The sun and moon eclipsed when Imam Husain was slaughtered by a blunt blade.

“Aah! Imam HusainAS is far in the jungle. [We] Mourn for the brilliant pearl-like stars that lay unceremoniously strewn on the sands of Karbala.[We] Mourn for the chaste and pure Sayyedaat who were made to ride, uncovered, the bare backs of horse and camels. But they are Rasulallah’sdaughters! [We] Grieve for those parched and thirsty lips, for those bloodstained foreheads!

“After grasping that Imam HusainAS’smuseebat has no equal, how can one not feel, not empathize, not writhe with agony?! How can one not shed a tear after realizing that there is no greater blessing than crying upon this museebat?!

“O Allah! Help us in this endeavor for we are the shi‘aof Imam HusainAS and his progeny AimmatTahereenAS, who have made compulsory nohawalaweel. Help us mourn, dawn and dusk, the museebat of Imam HusainAS who was oppressed and slayed, because Rasulallah Syed al Thaqalayn stated:

من بکی او ابکی او تباکی علی ولديالحسينوجبت له الجنة

“Husain ImamAS – may you shower Him with salawaat – once stated, ‘For the one who sheds one tear, even just one drop, Allah Ta’ala will ensure your passage into Jannat.’”

Finally, MaulaTUS beseeches Allah Ta’ala,

فاعنا واعنا واعنا

Then help us, and help us, and help us

يا الله يا الله يا الله

O’ Allah, O’ Allah, O’ Allah!

علی بکائهبكاءشديدا لا يبقیفيهبقيه. وليكنلكبكرة و عشية.

That we may, day and night, so passionately and zealously weep for our MaulaHusainAS that we have no tears left to shed.

As AsharaMubaraka begins, we pray to Allah Ta’ala, PanjatanPaakAS, AimmatTahereenAS, and Do’atMutlaqeenRA; to Syedna Mohammed BurhanuddinRA and his mansoosand hamshaan, Al Dai Al AjalSyednaAaliQadr Mufaddal SaifuddinTUS, to guide us, to give us the tawfeeq and strength to answer MaulaTUS’s call with Labbaik!; and to express our nohawaaweel for the events that unfolded on the scorching sands of Karbala. For there is no greater suffering than that endured by Imam HusainAS and there is no greater reward than Jannat.

May Allah Ta’ala grant our MaulaTUS a long and prosperous life until the Day of Qayaamat.